Recently, I saw a meme on an outdoor pursuits Facebook page. On top, it had a picture of a forest with the words, “This is an antidepressant,” and on the bottom, a picture of many pills saying, “This is an addiction.”
As a woman who has had to take antidepressants in the past and who still struggles with general anxiety disorder every day, this meme, and many others like it, really make me mad.
This is not the first time I have seen anti-antidepressant propaganda. This past summer, near my hometown, I saw a billboard for a therapist with the words, “Mental illness is a decision, not a disease. Get the help you need today.”
If I, or anyone else, could decide not to have mental illness, we would always choose not to be mentally ill. It is never as simple as “getting over it.” Antidepressants are prescribed by a doctor and physicians as a treatment for mental illnesses.
If someone has a broken leg, do you tell them to suck it up and stop being dramatic? No! You take them to get x-rays. You get them into a cast. You let it heal. And only when the bone has healed, do you get off the crutches and take off the cast.
Antidepressants are the same way. For many people struggling with mental illness, finding the strength to get up and go outside can be hard some days. Something as simple as taking a walk in the forest is not always possible. People with these illnesses lack motivation and energy.
Sure, taking a walk is great stress relief. I myself benefit from it daily. But for many, it is not always possible. For me, taking antidepressants was a great option.
I was having panic attacks almost every other day. School was draining, I did not feel normal. When I started taking medication, I knew I did not want to stay on it for the rest of my life. For me, medication gave me the freedom to figure what the root of the problem was, and to work through different situations that gave me anxiety.
I learned a lot about myself while on medication. I targeted places that made me uncomfortable and figured out why they made me uncomfortable. I realized what friends were giving me anxiety and that lead me to make some hard decisions on my mental health over someone else’s happiness. Every panic attack became easier and shorter. I learned how to control my breathing and other exercises to keep me from losing it.
Just because I took a pill everyday did not mean that I was addicted. They brought me comfort when I needed it the most. And as I got older and was managing my stress much better, I stopped taking them.
At first, it was hard. There are still moments when I want to take my medication again. But I always kept in mind that the antidepressants were like a cast. Once I was to the point of managing my anxiety better, I took the cast off.
Many people believe that antidepressants are unnecessary or addictive. Others think that antidepressants are a “quick fix”.
According the Addiction Center, “Antidepressants aren’t addictive in the same way substances like alcohol and heroin are. Those abusing antidepressants do not experience the cravings that other drugs cause.” Those who take antidepressants for a long period of time who suddenly stop can experience the symptoms of antidepressant dependence. The symptoms take place widely in individuals who were misdiagnosed and given the wrong treatment.
Antidepressants are not a quick fix. For me, it took about six weeks before I felt any results, and about six months for me to feel noticeably better.
The most commonly prescribed antidepressants come in the form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs gradually change your brain overtime, stimulating the serotonin receptors in your brain.
This is why it takes so long to feel any different on your medication, and why many sufferers of mental illnesses get fed up with their medicine. Antidepressants are not like pain killers- they do not cause significant changes in a short amount of time. They cannot cause a “high” and cause an addiction.
Memes like this need to be shut down. People who don’t understand mental illness need to shut up.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact your doctor. Those prescribed antidepressants should never stop taking their medication without first speaking to a doctor first.